BUDGY FILES: HAPPY ALLAN

Meat pies, schooners and a whole lot of what the F**k. Meet Happy Allan.

If you've ever come across a bloke smashing a pastry in one bite, sinking a schooner or running around Europe in a pair of Budgys, chances are you've stumbled across Happy Allan. 

 Gold Coast local, content creator and self-proclaimed professional goose, Happy has somehow made a career out of having a laugh and taking life a little less seriously. 

With nearly 300,000 people following along for the ride, we reckon he's onto something. 

 A long-time mate of Budgy Smuggler, Happy's been getting around in the smugglers since the OG Fruit Bowl days. We got him to put down the pie for five minutes and answer a few questions

So Happy, how would you describe what you do for a living?

G'day legends! I'm Happy Allan, a professional idiot who somehow managed to turn eating bakery goods in three bites, drinking beers and talking absolute rubbish into a full-time career. I'm a Gold Coast-based content creator who loves meeting new people, having a laugh and showing people that life doesn't always have to be so serious. Somehow I've convinced nearly 300,000 people to follow along with my nonsense, and I couldn't be more grateful.

Surely no two days look the same. What's a typical day in the life of Happy?

The beauty of my job is that no two days are the same. One day I'm reviewing a meat pie at a country bakery, the next I'm at a pub sinking a schooner, and the next I'm halfway across the world running around in a pair of Budgys. My office is pretty much wherever I wake up. Usually there's a coffee (beer), a tiny bit of exercise, plenty of filming and a concerning amount of time spent thinking about my next meal.

 What did you want to be when you were younger?

To be fair, I had absolutely no idea. I definitely didn't think I'd grow up to be a bloke who eats cream pies on the internet for a living. I've worked in hospitality, construction and a few other jobs along the way. I think deep down I just wanted to do something that made people happy. Turns out being a professional goose was my calling.

You've been getting around in Budgys for a while now. What's a smuggling memory that stands out?

It's hard to go past travelling around Europe with the Budgy Smuggler crew. Running around France and London in a pair of swimmers, meeting absolute legends and making memories that'll stick with me forever. 

 There's something incredibly liberating about being in a foreign country wearing next to nothing and not having a care in the world. 

 I've had some of the best experiences of my life thanks to Budgy Smuggler. But my first experience was in the OG Fruit Bowl pair (which I still have in a box somewhere) at my Pop's house, swimming around Port Hacking.

For the blokes still sitting on the fence about wearing Budgys, what would you tell them?

Mate, life's too bloody short to worry about what other people think of your tackle. Just chuck them on, stand tall and own it. Nobody actually cares what you look like as much as you think they do. Confidence is everything, and I can guarantee you'll have a better time once you stop taking yourself so seriously. Big, small, hairy or bald, there's a Budgy for everyone.

All jokes aside, who's inspiring you at the moment?

Honestly, everyday people. 

 I've been lucky enough to travel the world and meet some incredible humans, and it's made me realise how much good there is out there. 

 People who work hard, look after their mates and don't take life for granted. My mum's always been a massive inspiration to me too. She's worked incredibly hard her whole life, and a big part of why I do what I do is to make her proud. I'm also just inspired by the opportunity to make people smile.

 If I can make someone's shitty day a little bit better, that's a win in my books.

What are your top three emojis?

😂🍺❤️

What's the last photo you took?

The last thing I took a photo of was a selfie, because I'm about to shave off my moustache to raise money for Movember. I've had the moustache for a while, so it'll be a bit of a shock seeing my top lip again. But if getting rid of it helps raise money and awareness for a good cause, I'm more than happy to sacrifice the mo.